A good read: Melissa H Pierson's "The Perfect Vehicle"

Melissa H Pierson "The Percect Vehicle: What it is about Motorcycles"
This book was loaned to me, and I fell in love with it. ~10 bux on amazon.

Airhead folks may connect more with it than others, maybe not.
A young woman's point of view, getting into motorcycling from the 1st step, Guzzis, rallys, history of races, breakdowns, "philosophy of riding" less 'thick' than Pirsig would have written it, all in all a good and satisfying read. Funny too [especially the comparison of Honda vs. BMW vs. Hardley Dangerous vs. Triumph riders]. Interesting to get motorcycle riding [and life in general] from a woman's perspective.

I read it while waiting for 5 days straight for badger hockey tickets, camping out at the Kohl center, getting no sleep, etc.

Some photos:

the day i got there, so clean


enjoying the book


over 1000 people waiting in line, not so clean anymore

Love hockey, love motorcycles, love getting sleep in a real bed, not a lawn chair.

Amazon Link ==> The Perfect Vehicle

thanks for your time.

I also thought it was a great book, I'll have to dig it out of the bookcase again and re-read it.........Rod.

I tried reading it, I never made it out of the early chapters...I guess I was not relating to her. I'm waiting for Voni to write a book...

SheRidesABeemer said:

I'm waiting for Voni to write a book...

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who is Voni? dare i ask...?

I've not read it (yet). But Bob Higdon raves over her writing and Higdon is one of those writers who make me wish I could do it even half as well.

John

I found the body of the book OK or better, and accurate: Pierson is a perceptive and an honest reporter.

The preface, on the other hand - the first fifteen or so pages - is the finest motorcycle writing I've ever seen. Gives me goose bumps to think of it.

Hockey and motorcycles. Two of my favorite things. The book was not as good as hoped but I liked it better then some of the other airplane books I have read.

nhlkats said:

who is Voni? dare i ask...?

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Voni Glaves, she is a long time rider. Rather then rehash everything here is her page http://www.mindspring.com/~p_vglaves/voni.htm

She is also my big sister

BradfordBenn said:

Voni Glaves, she is a long time rider. Rather then rehash everything here is her page http://www.mindspring.com/~p_vglaves/voni.htm

She is also my big sister

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Voni is a women who's riding I can relate to...or is that aspire too? Yeah the later.

Yes, The Perfect Vehicle is a great book. I have reread it more than once and hope she writes another one!

a good read

kats:

Thanks for bringing that one to our attention, I'm going to order it. There's a wide range of opinions on the book in the Amazon site, but the impression I get is that Pierson is quite a complex person.

I hope you got good seats for all your efforts.

Rinty

John Brase said:

I've not read it (yet). But Bob Higdon raves over her writing and Higdon is one of those writers who make me wish I could do it even half as well.

John

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This is what I was going to note... some of the finest writing I've come across, especially in the foreword. Few have captured the essence of motorcycling as she did in this section of the book.

dbrick said:

The preface, on the other hand - the first fifteen or so pages - is the finest motorcycle writing I've ever seen. Gives me goose bumps to think of it.

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Yes the beginning of the book is so good, the closest thing I've come to a "spiritual" feeling in a long time was reading the beginning.

rinty said:

I hope you got good seats for all your efforts.

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You'd think, but we didnt even get 1st tier/deck. 2nd tier 1st row, which, to me, is like a different country than 1st tier. I am a little upset the long wait did not bare fruits of my desire. But hey, could be worst, at least I have tickets, plus I met a lot of friendly females.

I really liked the book and I'm also thinking it might need a quick review. I also remember thinking I'd like to meet the author somewhere out on the road...a guy and a girl...a BMW and a Guzzi...Y'never know...Nah, who'm I kidding?